Elementary and middle school experiences are not some that I look back on often. It seems like most of elementary school was just a blur, and middle school was really not a time that I enjoyed. When I think about it, these areas of schooling are not as influential to me as they should be. Sure, they technically molded me into the student I am today, but it was high school that I truly became a determined student. However, if I try hard enough, I’m able to muster up some elementary school experiences and also remember one elementary school teacher that stood out among the rest.
For the first few years of elementary school I was quite the class clown. I joked around consistently and most likely appeared as a nuisance to my teachers. I didn’t really have a concern for school work and mainly went to school waiting for two things: recess and lunch. Other than that, I did my work with enough effort for my parents to be satisfied and my teachers to think I was average. Doing my work to the best of my ability never really appealed to me during these building years since I had no goal I was trying to attain. Yet, all of this changed by the time I reached 5th grade.
Since I have to reminisce about elementary school, I remember my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Doherty, being one of the best teachers I have ever had. Throughout that year, she always made class fun and enjoyable so that being in class didn’t seem like the most dreadful thing there was. We constantly played games and activities that were school related which made learning entertaining to students. Surprisingly, I remember the majority of students doing well because the material we would be studying didn’t appear so lackluster in the form of a game.
Being a fun teacher isn’t the only reason I consider Mrs. Doherty as one of my favorites. I recall a time where she had pulled me aside after one of our classes to talk about my school work. She had said that I was doing fine, but she could tell I wasn’t working to “my highest potential.” She continued to say that she would expect great things from me in the future and that all I had to do was become more invested in my school work. As a little kid, those words entered my head and made me think that I was going to be President (or something along those lines). It made me realize that doing well in school isn’t just to keep myself from being yelled at but my parents, but something that I could take pride in. Even though I’m clearly no longer interested in being anything close to the President of the United States, Mrs. Doherty still had created a spark in me all those years ago, one that I would carry with me through middle school and high school.
Just because I didn’t enjoy middle school very much doesn’t mean I didn’t get anything out of it. Since I began to do so well in 5th and 6th grade, I was offered the opportunity to enter into an LBGL (Learning Beyond Grade Level) program in middle school. I did rather well for the most part, but I did not experience another teacher like Mrs. Doherty during this time. Every little piece of work had to be precise and quickly became an annoyance. I learned that if I was going to continue doing well, dreadful school work was something that I would have to get used to. Despite the fact that middle school was not a meaningful time in my years of public education, Mrs. Doherty’s inspirational words still stuck with me as I would continue to work toward “my highest potential.”
Elementary and middle school experiences are not some that I look back on often. It seems like most of elementary school was just a blur, and middle school was really not a time that I enjoyed. When I think about it, these areas of schooling are not as influential to me as they should be. Sure, they technically molded me into the student I am today, but it was high school that I truly became a determined student. However, if I try hard enough, I’m able to muster up some elementary school experiences and also remember one elementary school teacher that stood out among the rest.
For the first few years of elementary school I was quite the class clown. I joked around consistently and most likely appeared as a nuisance to my teachers. I didn’t really have a concern for school work and mainly went to school waiting for two things: recess and lunch. Other than that, I did my work with enough effort for my parents to be satisfied and my teachers to think I was average. Doing my work to the best of my ability never really appealed to me during these building years since I had no goal I was trying to attain. Yet, all of this changed by the time I reached 5th grade.
Since I have to reminisce about elementary school, I remember my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Doherty, being one of the best teachers I have ever had. Throughout that year, she always made class fun and enjoyable so that being in class didn’t seem like the most dreadful thing there was. We constantly played games and activities that were school related which made learning entertaining to students. Surprisingly, I remember the majority of students doing well because the material we would be studying didn’t appear so lackluster in the form of a game.
Being a fun teacher isn’t the only reason I consider Mrs. Doherty as one of my favorites. I recall a time where she had pulled me aside after one of our classes to talk about my school work. She had said that I was doing fine, but she could tell I wasn’t working to “my highest potential.” She continued to say that she would expect great things from me in the future and that all I had to do was become more invested in my school work. As a little kid, those words entered my head and made me think that I was going to be President (or something along those lines). It made me realize that doing well in school isn’t just to keep myself from being yelled at but my parents, but something that I could take pride in. Even though I’m clearly no longer interested in being anything close to the President of the United States, Mrs. Doherty still had created a spark in me all those years ago, one that I would carry with me through middle school and high school.
Just because I didn’t enjoy middle school very much doesn’t mean I didn’t get anything out of it. Since I began to do so well in 5th and 6th grade, I was offered the opportunity to enter into an LBGL (Learning Beyond Grade Level) program in middle school. I did rather well for the most part, but I did not experience another teacher like Mrs. Doherty during this time. Every little piece of work had to be precise and quickly became an annoyance. I learned that if I was going to continue doing well, dreadful school work was something that I would have to get used to. Despite the fact that middle school was not a meaningful time in my years of public education, Mrs. Doherty’s inspirational words still stuck with me as I would continue to work toward “my highest potential.”